The Beast Within
by The Lone She-Wolf
Summary: Everyone has a dark side, and Katara is no different. When her hatred towards Zuko becomes real, the young Waterbender must find a way to tame the beast in her heart before she kills the ones she loves. But, only Zuko knows how to help her out! Rated T.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

"You are SO stupid!" Zuko grumbled around Katara, who was fuming over something rather miniscule.

"I'm stupid, huh? So then THAT'S why I asked you to do a tiny little favor of doing the dishes for me while I help make everyone's beds!" she scolded harsly.

"Yes, and I kindly turned it down!" Zuko grumbled louder, trying his hardest not to yell at the enraged Waterbender. He only know that would enrage her more, and he wanted to fit in. Meanwhile, the rest of the group were listening intently by the small kitchen window. This was very common for those two every night, almost.

Finally, Katara stormed out of the kitchen and slammed it with a resounding SLAM! And stormed out of the temple. No one else dared to go near her in one of her... Moods. Taking the small elevator-rope to the cliff above the Western Air Temple, she stalked into the woods, hoping to calm down or clear her mind.

"Psh, he really expects me to do EVERYTHING? He really is the exact same thing I've seen for the last year or so... The same selfish, foolish, power-hungry Prince I've always known," Katara growled under her breath, sitting heavily under a tree. She didn't bother to use manners, seeing as she was alone in the forest. The cold night air calmed her nerves slightly, making her sigh.

She wondered about that night in Ba Sing Se... When she almost trusted Zuko. Katara just scowled at the thought. 'What a fool I was...' she thought bitterly. She sighed again and leaned against the tree, hoping to fall asleep and maybe the wolves get her, so she can be out of this nightmare...

The Moon was still bright in the sky when Katara woke up to some rustling. "Leave me alone, Sokka," she hissed into the darkness. However, no answer came. She felt something boring her eyes into her back, and Katara stood up, ready to defend. Glancing around, she thought 'I didn't mean it literally about the wolves!'

For a split second, the girl caught a glimpse of prowling creatures. The shadow cast down on the bushes, and faint growling was heard. Her instincts taking over, Katara dashed any direction away from the sound. But it was no use, there was a creature chasing after her, and gaining fast! Her legs carried her as fast as they could, but every step she took, the beast was that step ahead of her.

Before Katara blacked out from the beasts teeth and claws, she saw it's wolf-like shape and cold, hungry gold eyes.

"Katara? Katara can you hear me?" She barely heard a voice plead to her. She opened her eyes slowly, glancing at the whole Gaang infront of her. Forgetting her energy and anger, Katara sat straight up.

"Guys! You have to run! There's a wo-," she was cut off, glancing around the room. Katara was back at the temple in her room! But how...?

"Thank the spirits your okay!" Sokka exlaimed, hugging his sister gently. Aang and Toph greeted her happily and joined in, careful not to hurt her, due to the wounds. Meanwhile, Zuko just stood in the doorway.

"Yes, welcome back," he smiled at the Waterbender. It wasn't in love, mockingness, or just the reason of smiling. He just wanted to be friendly. Almost...apologetic. Katara glared at him, resisting the urge to growl.

"Anyway," she said, turning her icy glare from Zuko, "How did I end up here?"  
"Well," Aang started to explain, "We saw you blacked out under this huge beast, but for some odd reason, he ran off when we walked up to you. Then we just saw you, broken and bleeding on the ground."  
"Then Zu- I mean all of us MINUS Zuko," Sokka chuckled nervously, "brought you here." Katara nodded, slightly scared. She told them she needed to be alone and think, and her friends left.

Katara managed to stand up, and examined herself in the mirror. Her clothes were torn, the peices missing exposed bandages. She was rather beaten, yet she couldn't help but stare at her own face. A strange feeling washed over her, chilling her bones.

For some reason, Katara felt like she had just become a beast...

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2: Realization and Signs

Katara looked away from the mirror and shook her head. "I must be going crazy..." She managed to limp back to her bed and laid down, staring a the celing. The girl didn't bother to pull the covers up on herself, and was just too deep in thought to do anything else.

Interupting her thoughts, a small, cautious voice came through the half cracked door, "Katara? Are you awake?"  
"Yes, Aang. You can come in," she replied, sighing. The young Avatar stepped in, carrying a tray of tea. With a big grin on his face, he set down the tray on the small nightstand, and sat on Katara's bed.

"So how are you feeling? I mean you really scared us..."  
"I'm fine," she replied. "It's just that, what attacked me... It looked just like a wolf only bigger. Did you get a closer look at it?" Aang just shook his head.

"No, I wasn't paying attention to it," he sighed, trying to get rid of the memory of a broken and bloody Katara. "It was a good thing we found you though." A slow smile crept on his face again, and his friend chuckled slightly.

"Thanks for bringing me back," the Waterbender said, hugging the Avatar.  
"It's no problem! Though Zuko did most of the carrying-" he cut his sentence off, seeing her eyes widen.

Outside, everyone was startled to hear Katara's roar. "ZUKO! YOU GET THE HELL UP HERE!" Everyone almost felt the walls of the Temple shake at her fury. Wisely heeding her warning, the Fire Prince stood up from his bench outside and slowly made his way into the temple. Murmers went around such as: "Good luck", "Don't die", and a nice ol' "Dead man walking" from Sokka were heard as he walked.

Inside, Aang was holding his ears, whimpering from Katara's outburst. The Waterbender was practicly breathing smoke- or steam, rather- from her nostrils. Zuko wasn't scared, but hey, I would be...

"You DARE handle me while I'm not looking HUH?" she accused the Firebender. She stood up-barely- and pointed an angry finger in his face. "I don't care if I'm freaking DYING. You do NOT and I repeat, do NOT, in a million years DARE handle me in any way without my permission!" Katara was screaming at him. In the background, Aang was shrinking back on the bed, unable to escape the argument.

"That's the thanks I get for trying to show you kindness?" Zuko asked in disbelief. "I could've just left you out there to die!"  
"Anyone else could've carried me back, but NO! You had to do it YOURSELF," Katara growled in reply. She shooed him out of the room. "I don't need to speak to you right now."

-

Back outside, everyone was waiting in anticipation. "Do you think Zuko's going to be okay? Or Aang?" Sokka asked to himself.  
"Well, Snoozles. I'm guessing she'll give him a good thrashing. I mean, did you hear that shout? I'll be surprised if Zuko comes out without a scratch!" Toph replied.  
Haru, Teo, and The Duke were murmuring to themselves quietly, while Sokka and Toph continued their conversations.

-

Both of the boys fled from Katara's room, leaving her to grumble and moan about how much of an idiot Zuko is. As the Waterbender rambled, she felt another odd, bone-chilling feeling go over her... She subconciously felt the back of her neck, and tiny bumps of her spine went up a bit through the skin. Then, they dissappeared. "What the...," she could hardly get the words out as surprise came over her.

However, she remembered the tea Aang brought in a while before and decided she needed to calm down. She picked up one of the silver cups, but to her surprise, a burning feeling shot up her arm, licking her veins in a singing fire. Katara yelped, dropping the cup to the floor. It shattered, and the pain went away.

"Maybe the tea was just hot?..." she mumbled, a worried look crossing her features.

-

Katara managed to walk outside of her room that night and sat by her friends around a small fire. She was just in time, for they were telling stories.

"And then through the darkness, A peice of metal came whizzing past them, and they know only of one thing... They were being HUNTED DOWN!" Sokka explained, not scaring anyone.  
"You know," Toph chimed in, "that sounded a lot like your haunted sword story you told a few months ago." Everyone else chuckled.  
"Well at least he actually has a bit of creativity. Back home. sleepovers stunk!" Haru laughed. The rest of the Gaang looked at one another, forgetting how he looked back when they first met him.

"Anyway," Zuko cleared his throat. "I got one. It's an old Fire Nation tale that was passed around back home." Everyone, excluding Katara who didn't really care, was listening intently, their ears erect. "Legend has it that in ancient times, the wolves wanted to be human. To walk on two legs and bend and make boats, build houses and speak to one another... So one day, the Spirit of the Moon granted them their wish, but on a heavy price. 'You can never be human,' he told them, 'Do what you will with your new forms, but be warned...Many things will harm you, much like the humans you admire...'"

Almost immediently, Katara's ears twitched slightly, thinking she needed to know this. Zuko continued, "The wolves enjoyed their human-like features. But when they were in contact with humans, they couldn't control themselves, and tried to hunt them down to extinction. Ashamed, the creatures hid in the forests, occasionally attacking any human who dared cross their path... However, the humans learned their weaknesses. They casted silver bullets to burn their hearts, and sharpened their axes to cut off their heads and hearts..."

As Zuko continued, everyone except Katara became excited about this story. 'What if I'm one of those wolf beasts?' she thought.

'Dear Gods, help me,' the Waterbender thought softly.

To Be Continued...


	3. Chapter 3: The Beast Within

The Firebender's legend continued on, explaining where these creatures - the Werewolves, as he said - were now, how they were cursed, etc. When he finished his tale, the whole group had creeped out looks on their faces.

"I see you liked it," Zuko said proudly.  
"Hey Sokka, you okay?" The Duke asked the warrior, tapping him on the shoulder. Sokka as shaking a bit, obviously afraid of the story.  
"Y-yes, I'm fine," he assured, putting on a fake smile. However, Katara heard enough and walked off, deep in thought.

Zuko was about to get up and follow her, but was stopped by Aang. "Maybe you should leave her alone? I mean, I don't like it when she's upset...And neither do you," he said to the Firebender.  
"Okay, perhaps later, then."

-

Katara laid down on her bed, trying to remove some of the bandages. She thought it was time for some new ones, but to her dismay, all of the wounds were healed. Only tiny scars and marks remained from the damage... 'I wonder if that legend is true,' part of her mind whispered.  
"No, it's not. Silly stories..." she mumbled to the darkness. After almost an hour of poking and prodding at the myth, sleep overcame the Waterbender, and all was silent...

-

The next day was very odd. The Gaang noticed that Katara had indeed changed. Her reflexes and senses improved, along with her strength and energy. She moved quicker and more gracefully, but decided to eat a larger sum of meat than usual. However, throughout the day, she would feel part of her body changing, much like the vertebrae on the back of her neck. Eventually, night fell on the group, and the Moon rose brightly in the sky...

-

A burning hot feeling came over Katara as she was exploring the woods that night, searching for the monster she was attacked by. It burned every fiber of her being, and she couldn't help but writhe in pain on the ground.  
"What's...Happening?" she breathed through her clenched teeth. The Moon set a bright silver glow on the girl, intensifying the pain. Suddenly, Katara glanced at her hand, and it started to grow large claws as fur sprouted from her pores.

With sudden realization, she realized that the legends were true! Her body was undergoing a forced transformation, into a monster. Katara felt her feet slowly stretch out of her shoes, tearing them apart. Fur was already covering her whole body, as her muscles and bones cracked and strained. Tears filled the Waterbender's eyes as she was gripped in fear, pain, realization, and anger.

Her clothes ripped apart as new muscles grew, increasing her height and bulk. She was forced onto her hands and knees, for she felt her spine growing and protruding out of her back. It became long, and covered in fur. Sharp, pointed ears formed on her head, changing her human hearing.

As Katara neared the end of her transformation, there was a sickening crack in her face as it protruded out, sinister fangs forming along her jaws. The final changes were made, such as height, claws, and extra fur. Feeling a great power within her chest, the Werewolf released a cold, blood freezing howl that rung across the forest.

The beast had no control, but deep within it's mind, Katara's soul still lingered. She saw everything the beast saw, but couldn't control it. She ran off on all fours, thundering through the forest, a flurry of brown fur and claws. At the transformation site, all that was left was shreds of her clothing and armor, except for her sacred necklace, which hung as a small reminder of the beast's true self around her neck...

To Be Continued...


	4. Chapter 4: Discovery

_It's about time I get something serious down… Yeah, I fear I may have to just cancel __A Very Furry Twist__… At least for now. That story is not getting anywhere and I will only update if I have a huge inspiration burst. HOWEVER, this story should be updated regularly, so mainly focus on this one. Also, please give me reviews! I like all the reviews I'm getting for my spoof story, but this one needs some feedback! I'd appreciate it. Thanks a lot! _

Back at the Air Temple, things weren't as smooth. The night was quiet, the moonlight filling through the small windows of the bedroom corridors as everyone was sleeping soundly, except for a single young warrior who was awake out of his bedchamber, stalking the area for a snack like a scavenging vulture.

"Does _anyone ever _go to the market at all?" he hissed under his breath. Soon enough, he reached the kitchen, shuffling through cupboard after cupboard, and every bowl, plate, bottle, glass, pot, or anything else requiring preparing food, with no luck. "Now where does Katara keep everything she uses to make dinner with," Sokka mused, bent over a bottom cabinet, throwing appliances this way and that. Much to his dismay, however, two pairs of footsteps where heard, and coming in Sokka's direction!

"Who's there?" A stern male voice rang out from behind the door. The warrior glanced behind him, and promptly proceeded to put away the mangled mess of appliances and silverware before answering.

"There's no one in here!" he lied. The door opened, and Sokka sighed in relief, seeing his friends Haru and The Duke.

"Geez, what's with all the noise?" the little boy asked, raising his brow. "You're waking up all of the Fire Nation with that racket!"

"You really should be more careful, Sokka. I mean, not to be rude or anything, but you are kind of loud…" the shy earth bender stated flatly, shrugging.

Sokka sighed.

"Well sorry guys. I just have a bit of a problem… Do you two mind going to the village nearby and picking up some food for me-er… the group? The Duke's eyes lit up.

"Sure!" he cheered. "I needed a nice walk in the moonlight anyway. You up for it, Haru? The older boy nodded.

"I'd be happy to help!"

"Good. Just uh, be sure to be quiet… I'll try it as well," Sokka added quickly, seeing the other two boys glance at him.

At night, the village just beyond the woods is very quiet, almost ghost town like. Houses and marketplaces stood lifeless under the moon's silver aura, and hardly any creature broke the icy silence. Haru and The Duke walked along the dusty road, looking for somewhere to purchase food.

"I don't think it's a good idea to be out this late at night, Haru. I mean, no one's even outside… Or maybe even alive around here…"

"That may be true, it still won't hurt to try right?" Haru replied, glancing forward. The young man stared at the round moon, stroking his mustaches, and sighed. The freedom fighter beside him stopped his stride a few steps to gawk at a shadow against the moonlight. He didn't have time to analyze it, but it was definitely human-like, but had a beast essence to it.

"Hey, what was that?" The Duke pointed to the shadow. The Earth bender turned around to stare just beyond where the child's short finger was pointing, and then frowned.

"Aw, Duke. There's nothing there!" Haru forced a chuckle. "Are you playing tricks?"

"Nope! And it's _The_ Duke!" he replied, reminding Haru once again of his true name. The teenager sighed, forcing a smile, and patted the forest child's head. They kept searching for an open market, when after about ten minutes, The Duke let out a loud breath.

"What is it?" Haru asked, concerned. He didn't know why, but the child was worried about Katara.

"I wonder what happened to her…"

"Who?"

"Katara. She's been acting so odd lately, and she won't give us a straight story as to why. I mean, first she starts to rack on Zuko, and then she's suddenly changed…"

The one whom they were speaking about was hiding among the shadows of a building. _Why can't I speak to them? _The spirit within her asked. The beast let out a short growl. She tensed, crouching down on all fours. Her jaws parted, letting saliva drip from the white, sharp fangs.

"She's a complicated person, The Duke." He almost rolled his eyes at the name he finally got correct. "I've known her a long time, and I know she wouldn't succumb to such rude behavior like she is doing towards our new friend." Haru was almost surprised. He didn't usually speak in such wise tones, but he knew deep inside that he was correct. Katara was indeed acting strange, and he can't place as to why. "She's very strong, that girl. I'd hate to see her in such turmoil. I wish I knew how to help her…" Now the Earth bender was speaking more to himself than his friend. The Duke just looked down. Their steps started once again, until suddenly they came upon a gruesome sight.

During their conversation, they didn't notice a beast lunge from the shadows and into another building. Surprised, they walked cautiously up to the door that was hanging loosely on one hinge.

The beast was huge. Due to their life near forests, the boys knew that it was a wolf. However, it was unlike any they have ever seen. It had it's back toward them, leaning over a bloody carcass of some inextinguishable animal. With long, drooling fangs, the wolf-beast tore the flesh from its bone. A single window was on the side of the structure, illuminating its chocolate fur. The Duke gasped softly, and the monster's large ears twitched. It spun its great head around, blood covering the muzzle in a dark and wet coating. The lips were pulled back, exposing the gleaming teeth. A growl pierced the night's silence, chilling their bones and freezing the blood. A cloud from the moon drifted away, leaving something so mystifying around the creature's neck. At first, it went unnoticed. A collar-like necklace hung around its neck. The charm it held was round and blue… The symbol of the water tribe was traced into it.

Only one person they knew of had such a distinguishing charm. However, her name never came to mind, for their instincts flared, forcing them to break out into a run back to the temple. With her blue wolf eyes narrowed, Katara stared after the two humans. Uninterested with new prey, she merely continued to eat the one that was already there, not bothering to waste the energy.

Haru and The Duke arrived at the Temple by morning, just as the bright sun was peeking over the mountains slowly, like a cat waking from a long nap. The group, minus Katara, heard their story. Most of them seemed interested at first, but then merely sent them to their rooms to rest a bit, thinking they were imagining things. After all, if they faced such a creature, wouldn't it just kill them right then and there?

Zuko stood infront of Haru's bedroom door, and sighed. He knew that their story might have some truth to it, and decided to talk to the wisest of the pair that went to the village last night. The Fire bender's fist knocked against the door and Haru opened it. A frown creased his face, his eyebrows tilted downward.

"Hey, Zuko… I'm not really in a great mood now. I uh-"

"I need you to explain more of what happened last night… I think I may know what that thing was. I believe in what you said, so I want to talk. Haru nodded, and let the Prince inside. They sat down on the bed. The Earth bender failed to mention to the group that the wolf-beast had a necklace, but he decided to save that for Zuko at this point when the time was right.

"By the way, did you find Katara?" Zuko asked, breaking Haru's cloud of thoughts.

"Well, we did find a clue…"

**Bwhahaha cliffhanger! What did ya guys think? Tell me in a review! Tune in next time x3**


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